Compensation questions are often really about self-worth. And self worth is based on self-knowledge, or lack of it. But according to long-time businessman Steve DeWindt, "Every person has a gift to contribute, a special talent, that creates a place for you [in the work force]."

Steve has spent the last twenty years in various management positions, being both employer and employee. For ten years, he was director of worldwide sales for Intel, where he had 350 people working for him. He was co-president of Computer 2000, a large German public company with about 5,000 employees. As CEO of Ameriquest he had about 500 employees to think about. He was co-president of Infinigate, another German dot-com, where he directed about 100 employees in six countries. Of late, Steve is president of Blueroads, a five-month-old software company with ten employees that he started with a partner.

At the bottom of my list is the financial compensation.

"Actually, when I make personal choices," Steve said, "at the bottom of my list is the financial compensation, and at the top of my list are the qualities for me personally. At the top of my list is fun. But after that is 'Do I have impact or influence? Is this challenging? Is there an opportunity to grow? Is this an open, honest environment?"

When Steve finished grad school he had offers from several companies. And surprisingly, he took the job with by far the lowest pay. He wrestled with himself to decide if pay was all that was important. "I did it because I'd been praying about it," he explained. "It was so clear to me that this one opportunity resonated on all other levels except for pay, whereas the other opportunities, the only level they resonated on was pay."

"A man's gift maketh room for him."

What was that prayer like? How did it work?

"In praying about this, I was looking for direction," he said. "In particular, I was holding to the thought that the answer wasn't going to be just intellectually satisfying. Whatever the answer was, it would be completely satisfying. And I was praying with the idea from a Bible passage in the book of Proverbs, 'A man's gift make the room for him, and bring him before great men.'"

So what happened?

"This guy called me up," he continued. "I had sort of known him, and he worked for Disney. He said, 'I am interviewing some of your classmates. What can you tell me about them? And, by the way, would you come interview?'"

Steve gave him the feedback, but said he wasn't interested in interviewing at Disney. The man called a second time and at first, Steve reiterated that he wasn't interested. "But just before I hung up," Steve related, "I thought about that quote [from Proverbs]. Long story short, I interviewed and took the job on the spot."

The pay was a half to a third of what all his other offers were.

Although the pay was a half to a third of what all his other offers were, he said it just felt right. And within 18 months he was actually making more than he would have had he taken any of those other jobs, "without my having to haggle about it," he admitted.

"For me, in that particular job," Steve said, "I had continued to pray that if my gifts are making 'room' for me and this is the right place for me, it has to be right in all aspects, including fair compensation."

Are the compensation questions different for employers? Steve has been in that position for much of his working career.

Let's talk about the intangibles.

He explained that when he has a job he's trying to fill, he first looks at the job description and at the kind of measurable performance expected. But that's not all. "Then you say, let's talk about the intangibles," he went on. "How does this person fit with our value set? How does this person demonstrate leadership? Does this person add to or detract from our culture? Is this person a 'leaner' or a 'lifter'?"

He has particular qualities he likes to consider. One he mentioned is consistent values. "I look for someone who doesn't have one set of morals or operating behavior at home, and another set at work," he said.

"There has to be more than pay that says to you, 'Yes, I can't wait to go to work."

Steve often reads and studies the book featured on this Web site, Science and Health. He thinks about ideas from this book as he evaluates the quality of his own work and the work of others. "[The author] Mary Baker Eddy writes that man is the full representation of Mind, or God," he said. "It's not just partial, it's full. How we do things is just as important as what we do. We have to go with grace, as God directs."

Steve advised that when people think about employment and proper employee compensation they might want to begin to think about what compensation means to them. "There has to be more than pay that says to you, 'Yes, I can't wait to go to work.' To ask yourself, 'What gives me satisfaction? What gives me joy? What gives me a feeling of self worth?' Start to figure out what those qualities are for which you're looking. You have to define them first, or you won't recognize them. Look for where you are already seeing some of those qualities in your life today and cherish them. The more you focus on them and cherish them, the more they will come into your experience."

As for determining what compensation to ask for, Steve suggested the kinds of things any employee should demand: "Satisfaction, respect, joy, delight, appreciation." These are spiritual qualities that when included in the workplace can mean fulfillment and progress. In Steve's experience, when those qualities are active, fair and satisfying compensation follows.